Method of and means for tunneling



Jan. 5; 1932. I J. F. OR'OURKE I 1,839,888

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TUNNELING Filed Aug. 11, {19m 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1932. Y J. F. OIROURKE 1,

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TUNNELING Filed Aug. 11, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet. 2

ATTORNEY .Jan. 5, 1932. J. F. OROURKE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TUNNEIJING' Fil ed Aug. 11, 19-30 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR John F Ofiour/fe.

ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 1932. J. F. O'ROUR-KE 1,839,838

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TUNNELING Filed Aug. 11, 1930 5 SheetsSheet 4 7 IIIIIIIII/I INVENTO R ATTORNEY J. F. O ROURKE I METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TUNNELING Jan. 5, 1932.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 11, 1930 .........mnnnmumlll llllllllfi Patented Jan. 5, 1932 EJNETEQ STATES JOHNI. OROURKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR TUNNELING- Application filed. ,August 11, 1930. Serial No. 474,347.

Tunnels, subways and the like are frequently constructed with the use of shields, and within the. tail of the shield the lining rings are erected, the shield being shoved forward- 51y a distance suitable for each ring erected. The shield is of greater diameter than the rings erected within it, so that a space is left in the tunnel boring around the lining behind the shield as the latter advances. The surrounding ground is liable to fall into the said space, and the lining will settle into the boring unless means are providedto avoid it. In

Letters Patent No. 1,235,233, granted to me July 81, 1917, I have disclosed a method of preventing settlement of earth into the space outside of the tunnel lining consisting in forcing material into said space by impact to an initial density to withstand pressure of the exterior ground, such material commonly used being gravel. Where tunneling of the character described is carried on in relatively soft or plastic ground, such as where the tunnel boring passes through material like soft clay, as under rivers, bays and the like, and where the level of the tunnel closely approaches the bottom of the water, and is required to be bored at such places in whole or in part through blankets of clay or like materials that have been deposited of suliicient thickness on the bottom in lieu of natural ground "to afiord proper cover above the tunnel, it is of great advantage to prevent thev movement of such natural or artificial cover into the space surrounding the tunnel lining that has been erected Within the shield used in making the boring, whereby the material above and around the lining; will not be disturbed or unduly distorted from its natural repose. In driving shield tunnels through ground of the soft variety referred to it is customary to provide the front portion of the shield with bulkheading having closable openings, by the regulation of which openings the amount of material from in front of the shield that is admitted th-ereinto may be controlled. Under such conditions the shovof the shield produc'es high pressures in the heading, and if the consistency of the ground affords sufiicient mobilityv the .pressure from the shield jacksinduces movement of the adjacent ground into the space behind the shield, between the Wall of the tunnel .bore and the tunnel lining.

The object of my invention is to facilitate and render less dangerous the operations involved in shield tunneling through soft clay and the like character of ground which does not possess the mobility above described, and particularly with reference to ground at the front of the shield that is so soft as to require the use of bulkheading in the shield to prevent the groundheading from being forced en masse into the tunnel. v

By the use of my invention the space between the tunnel lining and the tunnel bore is filled with material from the heading that is forced therefrom through passageways in the shieldthat open through the front of the shieldand communicate withsaid space back of the shield, whereby each time that the shield is shoved forwardly (after the erec tion of a lining ring inside of the tail or rear portion thereof) the pressure exerted against the heading by the front parts of the shield and the bulkheading closing spaces between such parts will cause the ground to be forced through said passageways into said space, to immediately resist the falling in of the surrounding ground and, the settlement-of the tunnel lining into said space. Simultaneously with the forcing of said materialfrom theheading into said space outside of the tunnel lining, material from the heading will usually be forced into the interior of the shield through openings in the said bulkheading, where it is to be loaded into muckcars and removed from the tunnel. The amount of heading material thus admitted into the tunnel will be regulated by the size and the number of the openings in the bulkheading.

Animportant result obtained by my invention is that the maximum amount of heading necessary to thus admit into the tunnel equals the displacement of the tunnel. The excess excavation displaced by the shield is automatically filled during the shove into the space it leaves around the tunnel lining.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein Fig. 1. isa front elevation of my improved shield adapted to carrying out my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly broken front view of a part of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on line 3, 3, in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section through a front portion of the shield; Fig. 5 is a rear view of the shield, illustrating a portion of the tunnel lining; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the skin of the shield, illustrating means for making passageways from the front to the rear of the'shield for the flow of ground into the space around the tunnel lining; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail perspective View of part of the front end of the cutting edge of the shield at passageways; Fig. 8 is a detail perspective of parts used in making the passageways; Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of a modified form of shield, partly in section on line 9, 9, in Fig. 10; Fig. 10 is a section on line 10, 10, in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail cross section through a tunnel lining segment or block connected with a passageway of Figs. 9 and 10; Fig. 12 is a partly sectional side elevation of a shield of the character shown in Figs. 1 to 8 provided with a demountable cutting edge for use in tunneling in non-clay ground; Fig. 13 is a partly broken front view of part of said cutting edge; and Fig. 14: is a horizontal sectional detail substantially on line 14:, 1a in Fig. 12.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Views.

The numeral 1 indicates a shield for tunneling, which may be mainly of usual construction (except as hereinafter described) adapted to be used for making a boring 2 in the earth 3 to receive the tunnel lining 4, which may be erected ring by ring within the tail of the shield in any desired way. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 8 and 12 to 1 1 the shield is provided with passageways 5 that open through the front and the rear of the shield to receive ground from the heading 3a and cause it to flow into the boring 2 around a lining ring la behind the tail of the shield as the latter is shoved forwardly by the jacks 7 within the shield that bear against the lining 4, (Fig. 3.) The jacks may be constructed and operated in a well known way. The passageways 5 are shown located betweenthe outer skin or shell 10, of the shield and an inner wall Ssecured to and spaced from said skin. Between the skin 1a and the wall 8. I secure spaced ribs or bars 9, extending longitudinally, whereby the passageways 5 are provided. The ribs or bars 9 and the skin 1a and wall 8 may besecured together firmly by rivets, Figs. 2 and 1. By preference the front edge of the wall 8 is deflected inwardly at So. all around, to provide the passageways 5 with a widened entrance mouth to accumulate a quantity of ground for the passageways as the shield is shoved forwardly, Figs. 3 and 8. Blocks 11 .are shown secured at the ends of the ribs or bars 9, between and to the skin 1a and the wall 8, at its deflected portion 8a, said blocks being shown somewhat wedge-shape, whereby the edge portions of the said skin and wall are strengthened, Figs. 4 and 7 At 12 is indicated bulkheading within the forward part of the shield, shown at a distance back from the cutting edge 16, which bulkheading may be constructed in a known way, as in one or more sections, and braced by beams and the like 13, to resist thrust.

against the heading 3a of the ground when the shield is shoved forwardly by the jacks. The bulkheading is shown provided with openings 14 which may be closed, as required, by removable covers 15, which may be secured to the bulkheading by screws or bolts 16. Any desired quantity of the ground from the heading may be permitted to enter the shield through the bulkheading as the latter is shoved forwardly, to be removed in a usual way, such as before referred to.

In the form shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 the passageways for delivering ground from the heading to the boring 2 behind the shield are shown in the form of hose pipes 50!. within the shield, communicating at their forward ends with openings 17 in bulkheading 12 and communicating at their rear ends with the boring or space 2 behind the shield, through openings in a lining ring. Nipples or fittings 1 18 are attached to the bulkheading 12 at the openings 17, to which nipples the hose pipes are attached, and nipples or fittings 19 are attached to and open through lining blocks or segments behind the shield. When the shield is shoved forwardly ground from the heading 3a will be caused to flow, within the shield, through the passageways 5a and through the lining ringto which they are attached to charge the space or boring 2.

The lining of the tunnel or subway may be made in any desired way. In the form shown in Figs. 8 and 5 the lining is of concrete blocks or segments against which the jacks bear to shove the. shield forwardly, and in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 the lining 4 comprises cast iron blocks or segments 4a bolted together in a known way. In either form of blocks the nipples 19 may be connected with holes in the tunnel lining, and the iron blocks of the lining 4: may be installed in connection with the passageways 5 formed between the skin and the wall 8 of the shield.

In constructing some tunnels the shield may pass from soft-clay or plastic ground to sand or other non-self supporting ground, and vice versa. When the shield encounters hard or sandy ground a heading in which must be supported, and which cannot be shoved by the bulkheading 12, and where brcastboarding of headings to hold the ground in front ofthe shield, a well known operation in tunneling through sandy or other ground, would be substituted for the bulkheadin g,I provide a demountable steel cutting edge, indicated at 20 in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, to be used in connection with said breastboa-rding. Such cutting edge is prefer.- ably made in sections, to facilitate applying it to and removing it from the shield, as illustrated. The sections may be secured to the front of the shield by screws 21 and bolts 21a, and the sections may be secured together by bolts 22. When non-clay ground is encountered the bulkheading 12 will be removed and the steel cutting edge substituted, and when soft-clay or plastic ground is encountered again the said cutting edge will be removed and the bulkheading replaced, my improved shield thereby being adapted for use with various kinds of ground. ,VVhen the demountable cutting edge is used on the shield the passageways maybe closed in any desired way, as by said cutting edges as illustrated.

In constructing a lined tunnel in relatively soft ground, such as described, the bulkheading 12 is positioned in the shield to bear against the. heading 3a of the ground ahead, and each time that a ring of the lining is erected within the tail of the shield the latter is shoved forwardly a distance equal to the width of a. ring the jacks bearing against the lining in a usual way, and causing very high hydraulic pressures in the plastic ground comprising heading 311. Since the shield is of greater diameter than the lining, the boring 2, through which the shield travels and in which the lining is erected, is of greater diameter than the lining, thereby producing a space behind the tail of the shield. As the shield is shoved forwardly the relatively soft ground, by reason of the pressure of the bulkheading against the heading 3a, is caused to flow under the hydraulic pressure described through the passageways within the shield and be delivered under such hydraulic pressure into the said space around the adjacent portion of the lining behind the shield. The said space is thus immediately filled with ground so that the surrounding ground is prevented from settling into said space and the tunnel or subway lining is immediately supported within the boring as the same is left unsupported by the shield as the latter advances. Arch stresses of the surrounding ground which would occur when a space is left around a tunnel lining for a distance behind a shield are avoided, because as such ground loses the support of the shield said ground will be supported immediately by the material from the heading forced backward by the pressure of the bulkheading thereagainst into the space left by the shield behind it. The equilibrium of the surrounding ground will remain substantially undisturbed, the face of the bore or heading will not be softened by arch stresses as now. always occurs in such cases, and the tunnel'lining will remain in the position in which it is erected. The

movement of thedamp clay, through the passageways referred to, will be facilitated by the well-known slipperiness of the clay, and the enlarged areas of the months or entrances of the passageways increases the velocity of the entering clay over that of the openings through the heading into the shield, so that there will be a surplus of clay forced through the passageways for filling of the space in the ground around the lining behind the shield, which will result in said fillin being completed under considerable hydraulicpressure and the clay will be packed in said space.

While I have illustrated my invention as applied in connection with a circular shield of simple construction with wooden bulkheading and openings in the sainethat are to be closed with bolted covers, as required, it will be understood that my invention applies equally to a shield of any other desired form or size and with metal bulkheading integral with the shield, the openings in which may be controlled with adjustable doors of any size or design, and that changes may be made in the details of con-- struction set forth without departing'from the spirit of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is: y

1. The method of preventing settlement of ground into a space outside of a shield driven tunnel li ing consisting in forcing a shield against ground in front of the shield and causing plastic ground material from in front ofthe shield to be forced through the shield into said space by the pressure of the shield against the ground.

2. The method of preventing settlement of ground into a space outside of a shield driven tunnel lining consisting in shoving a bulkheaded shield against the heading of plastic ground in front of the shield and causing the pressure of the bulkhead against saidground to cause some of said ground to flow through the shield into said space around the lining.

. 8. The method of preventing the settlement of ground into a space outside of a shield driven tunnel lining consisting in shoving forwardly a shield having bulkheading, causing the bulkheading to press against a plastic ground heading in front of the shield and thereby causing some of said ground to flow through the shield into the said space outside of the lining behind the shield by the pressure of the bulkheading against said ground.

4. The method of preventing. the settlement of ground into a space outside of a shield driven tunnel lining consisting in shoving forwardly a shield having bulkheading and having passageways opening through the front and the rearof the shield, causing thebullrheading to press against a plastic ground heading in front of the shield and thereby causing some of said ground to flow through said passageways into said space outside of the lining behind the shield by the pressure of the bulkheading against said ground. 7

5. The method of tunneling consisting in shoving forwardly a shield having bulkheading provided with openings and having passagewaysopening through the front and the rear of the shield, causing the bulkheading to press against a plastic .ground heading in front of the shield and thereby causing ground from said heading to flow into the shield through said openings and some of said ground to flow through said passageways into said space outside of the lining behind the shield by the pressure of the bulkheading against said ground.

6. The method of constructing a shield driven tunnel consisting in shoving forwardly a shield having passz through the front of the shield against a plastic ground hea 'ng and open into a space hehind the shield around a lining, and causing ground from said heading to flow through said passageways from in front of the shield into said space under such pressure from the pressure of the shield against said ground as will immediately prevent settlement of surrounding ground into said space.

7. A tunnel shield having passageways opening through the front of the shield through the rear of the shield adjacent to its outer skin into a space outside of a lining therein to direct the flow of ground from the front to the rear of the shield by the forward shove of the shield. i

8. A tunnel shield as set forth in claim 7 in which the passageways have widened entrances at the front of the shield.

9. A tunnel shield having bulkheading and having longitudinal passageways opening through the front of the shield and through the rear of the shield adjacent to its outer skin into a space outside of a lining therein to direct the flow of ground from the front to the rear ofthe shield by the forward shove of the shield.

10. A tunnel shield having an outer skin and an inner wall spaced therefrom, and

means providing passageways between said skin and wall opening through the front and through the rear of the shield adjacent to said skin to direct the flow of ground from in front of the shield to the rear thereof by the forward shove of the shield against said ground.

11. A tunnel shield having an outer skin and an inner wall spaced therefrom, and longitudinally disposed ribs between said skin and wall and spaced apart, andmeans securing said parts together, providing passageways opening through the front and through the rear of the shield adjacent to the'skin to direct the flow of ground from in front of the igeways that open shield to the rear thereof by the forward shove of the shield against said ground. I

12. A tunnelshield having an outer skin and an inner wall spaced therefrom, and means providing passageways between the skin and wall, the forward portion of said wall extending inwardly providing widened front openings for said passageways, the said passageways opening through the rear portion of the shield adjacent to said skin.

' 13. A tunnel shield as set forth in claim 12, provided with wedge-like blocks secured between the skin and the said wall at the front of the shield. U

14. A tunnel shield having an outer skin and an inner wall spaced therefrom, longitudinally disposed ribs between said skin and wall and spaced apart, means securing'said skin, ribs and wall together, providing passageways opening through the front and through the rear of the shield adjacent to its skin, the forward portion of said wall extending inwardly providing widened front openings for said passageways, and wedge-like blocks secured between the skin and the said wall at the front of the shield.

15. A tunnel shield having a bulkhead, a flexible hose within the shield, said hose having one end opening through the bulkhead to receive ground forced thereinto by a shove of the shield against said ground, and means to attach the other end of the hose to a tunnel lining at the rear of the shield.

16. A tunnel shield as set forth in claim 15 in which the bulkhead has a nipple opening through the bulkhead to which nipple the hose is attached, the tunnel lining having a nipple opening through the outer surface of the lining, the hose being attached to said nipple.

17. A tunnel shield having a bulkhead provided with an opening, a nipple attached to the bulkhead and communicating with said opening, a hose attached to said nipple, a tunnel lining at the rear of the shield, said lining having a nipple opening through the outside of the lining, said hose being attached to said nipple for directing ground from in front of the bulkhead through the hose toa space outside of the lining.

JOHN F. OROURKE. 

